Reading
SAA Notes
Living sacrifices, different, gifts one body, sincere love, overcome evil with good. There are many wonderful thoughts, instructions, warnings, understandings – look for one that speaks to your present circumstances.
SJA Notes
* Dear God, thank You for today, and for Your word to us. Please teach us what it means to live for You.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
How can we resist being overcome with evil?
How can we overcome evil with good, how does that work?
Paul is speaking to us, God’s people saved by God’s grace, about behaviour. How we act. Toward God, and toward those around us.
The simple answer is – If we are a living sacrifice to our God, evil will not overcome us.
If we are going about His work, being transformed by His Spirit, that good being worked in us will overcome evil.
The apostle John layers over this in his third letter,
“Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.”
The agency we have is to work to present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. This is what it means to worship God!
The of God in us, though, this is what transforms us SO THAT we might be able to discern what is good and acceptable and perfect. God’s will.
Jesus is the key.
In Jesus, we see God’s goodness write plain and powerful.
In Jesus, we are shown what it means to resist evil and do good.
In Jesus, we see what it means to offer up ourselves, to discern God’s will.
Let us imitate Him!
* God Above,
Thank You for transforming us toward the likeness of Christ.
Please help us to discern Your will for us today.
May we be a people who are not overcome by evil, but instead overcome evil with Your good.
Amen.